SELECT MUSIC and DANCE VENUES in HAVANA and SANTIAGO

HAVANA

SALSA MUSIC & DANCE - TRADITIONAL MUSIC - SHOWS
Casa de La Musica - Miramar
Calle 20 esquina 35, Playa (tel 204-0447, 204-6147)
Good place for up and coming and top salsa bands. Cubans and tourists
Afternoon matinees 5pm-9pm are the best (more Cubans).

Casa de La Música - Centro Habana
Calle Galiano between Neptuno and Concordia, Centro Habana. (tel 862-4165, 860-8296)
top salsa groups. Most popular venue in Havana. Afternoon matinees 5pm-9pm are the best (more Cubans).

La Cecilia
5ta Avenida y 110. (tel 204-1562)
$25, top salsa groups, outdoor, dinner, dance shows, fancy, tourists

Salon Rosado Benny More de Tropical
Avenida 41 y 46 Playa (tel 29-0985, 23-5322)
$10, live salsa, outside location. Mostly Cubans.

Salon Rojo
Calle 21 entre N y O, Vedado
tel: 333747

Casa de Amistad
Paseo no. 406 esq. 17 Vedado (tel 830-3114)
$5, Sat. nites, elegant setting outside, live tradional son, salsa, shows,
Cubans and tourists, highly recommended

Havana Cafe del Hotel Melia Cohiba
Avenida Paseo y Malecon (tel 833-3636)
floor shows, variety shows, popular music bands , live salsa on weekends,
during the week admission is the price of drinks, tourists

Cafe Cantante (Teatro Nacional)
Paseo y 39 Plaza de la Revolution, Vedado (tel 873 5713, 879-0710)
$15-$20, basement venue, top salsa groups, Cubans and tourists

Los Jardines de La Tropical
51 y Puente Grande, Playa (tel 81-8767)
$5, weekends, beautiful outside location, old Spanish gardens,
live Salsa, mostly Cubans

La Macumba
Calle 22 y 37 La Lisa (tel: 330568; 330569)

see "The timba geek's guide to Havana"
for more info on places to dance in Havana.

JAZZ
Gato Tuerto (One-Eyed Cat)
Calle O e/ 17 y 15, Vedado (tel 55-2696)
fancy jazz bar, tourists

Jazz Cafe
Malecon & Paseo, on 3rd floor
$15, great jazz and good food, Cubans and tourists

La Zorra y El Cuervo
Calle 23 No. 155 e/ N y O Vedado (tel 55-2696)
$10-$15, serious Jazz club, tourists

FOLKLORE
UNEAC
Calle 17 # 354 corner of H, Vedado
$5, rumba and traditional music Wed. and Sat. 5-8pm, highly recommended,
Cubans and tourists

Callejon de Hamel
Calle Hamel e/ Aramburu y Hospital
Sundays 12 noon
free, rumba, Cubans and tourists

Conjunto Folklorico National
Calle 4 e/ Calzada y Linea, Vedado (tel 831-3467)
rumba and folklore shows every Sat. 2pm, Cubans and tourists


SANTIAGO

SALSA MUSIC & DANCE - TRADITIONAL MUSIC
Artex
Calle Heredia #304 e/ Calvario y Carniceria (tel. 65-4814)
$5, live traditional music and dance, outside patio, Cubans and tourists

Casa de la Trova
Calle Heredia #208 e/ San Pedro y San Felix (tel. 65-2689 / 65-4814)
$5, live traditional music and dance, most famous venue in Cuba
for traditional music, Cubans and tourists

Patio De Los Dos Abuelos
Plaza de Marte, Calle Francisco Perez #5 e/ Escario & Enramada (tel. 62-3302 / 62- 3267)
$5, live traditional music and dance, outside patio, Cubans and tourists

Casa De La Musica
Calle Corona #564 e/ Aquilara y Enramada (tel. 65-2243)
$5-$10, live salsa bands, traditional music, Cubans and tourists

Casa de los Tradiciones
near Bario Tivoli, Calle Jesus Rabi #154 e/ Santa Rosa and Princesa (tel. 65-3892)
$5, live traditional music and dance, old house turned into a club, mostly Cubans, highly recommended

Casa de Caribe
Calle l3 #206 Esq. Calle 8, Vista Alegre. (tel. 64-2285, 64-2387)
beautiful indoor and outdoor setting, variety of cultural events, Cubans and tourists

La Claqueta
Calle Felix Pena #654
outdoor patio, live salsa bands, traditional music, Cubans and tourists

Disco Espanta Suenos at Hotel Santiago,
Avenida de las Americas e/ Cuarta y Manduley (tel. 64-2634)
fancy club featuring recorded salsa and disco music, Cubans and tourists

CABARETS
Tropicana Santiago
northeast of town on Circunvalacion (tel. 68-7090, 69-1287)
fabulous outdoor cabaret shows and dinner, beautiful modern venue

San Pedro del Mar
Carretera del Morro (tel. 69-1287)
traditional Cuban cabaret of the 1950's, venue overlooks the sea

for more info on places to dance in Santiago click here

FESTIVALS
Noche Santiaguera
live dance bands and recorded music every Saturday night in a different location in the city

Alma de Santiago Jazz Festival - March

Festival de la Trova - March
trova and son music and groups

Festival de la Cultura Caribena - July
music and dance traditions from a different Carribean country

Carnaval Santiago - July
huge street party for a week, comparsas, floats, live bands, parades

Festival Internacional Matamoros Son - October
son music and groups

Encuentro Nacional de Orquestas Charangas - November
charanga music and groups